A Double Dose Of Female Bonding

Saturday, I enjoyed a double dose of female bonding that began with galpal Amanda.

Pershing Square: This cozy bistro is conveniently located right across from Grand Central Terminal

Over brunch at cozy bistro Pershing Square in Grand Central, we caught up on work, life and dating. Amanda filled me in on PR plans for her upcoming travel memoir The Lost Girls, including a book club tour across the U.S. I told her about an industry award that could lead to winning Best of Show with my colleagues for the second time in my PR career.

We also talked about one of our biggest pet peeves in the dating world – text messaging. Phone-o-phobia, as Midtown Girl calls it, has reached epidemic proportions among single men. Both Amanda and I have recently gone out with great guys who choose texting as a means for making plans. Sorry, but romance simply doesn’t go hand in hand with messages of 160 characters or less.

Later, I headed to lively bar Joshua Tree in Midtown for my good friend and former colleague Cristina’s bachelorette party.

All Smiles: Bride-to-be Cristina and me

Over multiple rounds of cocktails and shots, we toasted the bride-to-be on her pending nuptials in Boston next month to longtime love Chris. Thanks to an endless loop of 80’s videos, I got my groove on on top of a chair – until a grumpy bouncer instructed me to sit down. I should’ve told him to relax, because I’ve done this particular maneuver several times over the years without incident.

Shaking My Booty: The music at Joshua Tree made this inevitable

After bidding the bride-to-be goodnight, I was feeling wistful so I decided to walk up Third Avenue for awhile. I remembered when Cristina got engaged two years ago and felt unnerved all over again about still being single.

But then I reminded myself of the upside about being unattached, namely the adventure of what’s right around the corner. HurryDater E is taking me out for date #2 on Friday.

A Great Saturday Date

In the numbers game of online dating, it often feels like the odds are decidedly against making a connection. Which is why my date with Match.com member Chris was such a refreshing surprise.

I had Saturday night plans with a friend, so Chris and I met mid-afternoon at Annie Moore’s, a low-key pub near Grand Central. I was impressed that he was willing to drive in from New Jersey – and even more impressed when he suggested we adjourn from the bar to a table (unlike my last Match.com date, who kept us crammed into a tight space at the bar and bolted after an hour).

Annie Moore’s: Pub grub in a pleasant setting near Grand Central, perfect for a midday date

Tall, adorable and witty, Chris is as good at listening as he is at making conversation. We reminisced about our respective college years, shared our mutual desire to visit Prague someday and laughed about wearing braces as teenagers. I learned that, in addition to working hard in the compliance department of MetLife, Chris keeps busy with running, scuba diving and staying close to his parents and older brother.

There was plenty of playful banter, complemented by just a few moments of comfortable silence. We were both astounded when we checked the time and discovered that more than two hours had gone by.

Neither of us were in a hurry to say goodbye. As we stood in front of Annie Moore’s, I teased Chris about his daily caffeine fix and suggested he might need an IV transfusion of coffee. He laughed, saying he’d just sent an email to a friend saying the same thing.

He bent down and kissed me on the cheek, and continued to prolong the moment, telling me that he’d had a good time. So did I, I said.

Mindful of my evening plans, Chris said he didn’t want to keep me. Then, to my surprise and delight, he kissed my cheek again -- this time skirting tantalizingly closer to my mouth.

“We’ll talk soon,” he said as we finally went our separate ways.

Since then, we’ve exchanged text messages a few times. Though I’m not sure whether I’ll see Chris again, the sheer perfection of our date had me smiling for the rest of the day.

That’s the thing about a glimmer of romantic possibility. It’s just enough to remind you the journey to finding Mr. Right can be every bit as fun as the destination.

Macaroni Delight at Madison & Vine

Tonight, I enjoyed an after-work dinner with my Quinn & Company colleague, good friend and chief blogging supporter Carla. Our meal coincided with two milestones -- Carla’s tenth anniversary at Quinn & Co., and the one-month mark of Single Gal In The City.

Carla suggested Madison & Vine for our evening repast. Located a quick stroll from Grand Central Station in the boutique chic Library Hotel, the cozy, laidback bistro delivered a palette-pleasing meal that included wild striped bass drizzled with chorizo dressing and the “vine” burger, smothered with Gruyere cheese, red onions and mayo.

Our taste buds were most dazzled by Madison & Vine’s macaroni au gratin, topped with Gruyere, bacon, truffles and toasted bread crumbs. Not so dazzling was the uneven service -- being asked half a dozen times if we were done with our entrée only to then wait several minutes for our dessert order to be taken.

With cocktails in hand (Sauvignon Blanc for me, mojito for Carla), we talked about the expanding social media universe and its many tiers -- from all-access Facebook to by-invitation-only site A Small World. We also reflected on nostalgia for first loves, the kind that lingers once you know the romance is rightfully over and yet you can still appreciate, as friends, the rich history you share.

A scrumptious Smores sundae with meringue ice cream and graham cracker shavings put the perfect exclamation point on our girls’ night out. With a quick hug in front of Grand Central, Carla and I parted company and I found myself feeling grateful all over again for the serendipity that led me to Quinn & Co. and such a great friend.

Happy anniversary, Carla!